rglondon | Entries tagged with sw11

Chennai Dosa, an Indian restaurant in West Croydon

Hello people, new blogger here, so quick intro: I'm

rowleybirkinqc - as surmised previously I stumbled into editing RGL years ago (probably because I liked the principle of wikis). Right, onwards...

This week's featured article is Chennai Dosa, CR0 2RL, a casual South Indian restaurant in West Croydon where you eat with your fingers. The food is usually good, and even though sometimes poor in parts our reviewers just keep coming back.

One new article: Warisan Cafe, W2 1TU, a Malaysian cafe near Paddington Station. It's in a half-basement, but is friendly and welcoming, with freshly made, flavourful food.

Several pubs (and one restaurant) reported as closed (though some temporarily) -- one closed for health and safety!

The Moon And Stars, RM1 1NX, a 'spoons in Romford, is being refurbished (reopening November). The Royal George, SE8 4QD (a Sam Smith's pub, New Cross/Deptford borders) has closed down; it is now up for sale, though we reckon as a going concern. In the West End, the Kings Arms, W1W 7QL, a pleasant pub near Broadcasting House, is being refurbished and is due to reopen next year.

Lewisham Council has closed the Catford Constitutional Club, SE6 4SP because "parts of the building are dangerous". I note that Antic were allowed to continue operating it for another week, so I have visions of "just put this hard hat on if you're going to the loo, and best not to tread on too many floorboards". The council state the pub will reopen, perhaps next year, after the necessary works, but we're not holding out much hope.

The Brewery Tap, TW8 8BD looks like it has closed for good: the area round this Brentford pub is being redeveloped, and Fuller's say it is no longer feasible to keep it open.

The Gaylord, W1W 7SJ, an Indian restaurant in Fitzrovia since 1966, has closed down. It is being replaced by a new restaurant from a New Delhi chain.

Some selected updates:
* "Laptop Friendly" category's criteria slightly broadened
* In Battersea, former cocktail bar Zocalo, SW11 3RA is presently a tapas place "Vinos y Licores"
* Epsom Station has crept into Zone 9

katstevens

Evening readers!

This Sunday Morning saw a new featured article on RGL for Nico, a cafe in South Norwood. Run Run Run there to sample some poached eggs while Waiting For your Man! Reports of a plant-based burger joint opening next door called All Tomatoes Patties are as yet unconfirmed, but further research reveals that the cafe is named after its resident dog, so all my Velvet Underground puns are in vain.

Luckily our other update is for Project Orange, a rock bar right outside Clapham Junction station, so all is not lost, musical-pun-wise. They serve a wide range of keg beer and cans/bottles, but only bar snacks are available - if I was in charge I'd serve a vegan menu of Polenta Sandman, Ane-Jollof Death, Mock-Duck Feelgood, Breakin' The Slaw and Cucumber Of The Beast. Those definitely don't sound disgusting at all!

ewan

It's a quiet week on RGL so there's less to read this week. Hello!

This week's featured article is Fish in a Tie, SW11 2PF. Fish in a tie! Fish in a tie! I feel like that may be the start of some catchy children's ditty, albeit one that perhaps does not end up so happily for the fish. As a vegan I feel I must point out... Anyway, assuming you like fish, this sound like the place for you, and it has good service which should always be rewarded.

The one reported permanent closure -- which is to say, this is not a place you can visit anymore, sorry -- is Dosa n Chutney, a South Indian restaurant in Croydon. Given the name of the place, the chutneys should probably have been more than "competent", but if you head further up London Road you can visit the lovely Santok Maa's where they'll do you a chutney dosa. I was there the other week. Anyway, that's by the by, and that recommendation isn't officially part of the update. But it seemed relevant to those who might be interested in the categories of both dosas and chutneys and the intersection thereof.

mrs_leroy_brown

Santok Maa's, Thornton Heath, London CR7

Good evening ya'll!

This week's featured article is Santok Maa's, a totally vegetarian and vegan-friendly Indian restaurant in Thornton Heath. It serves a good selection of savoury food as well as sweets, and has been visited frequently by Kake. I'd like to sample the house speciality of Nairobi bhajia (battered potato slices) which is allegedly too large a portion for one, which feels like a challenge!

We've got a heap of new pub pages:

Great North Wood in West Norwood
Sambrook's Brewery Tap Room in Battersea
Country House in Earlsfield
Gidea Park Micropub in Gidea Park
Craft Beer Co in Limehouse
Owl and the Pussycat in West Ealing
Dodo Micropub in Hanwell

But wait! There's more! Updates have been made to even more pub pages:

Bull in Streatham
Woodman in Battersea
Fish in a Tie in Battersea

In non-pub news, updates have been made to Sunrise Jacket Potato and Oriental Food, a Filipino cafe in Romford, beating Fish in a Tie for this week's best business name, which truly is saying something.

Reported closures this week are Bull and Last on the edge of Hampstead Heath, although it's only temporary. Permanent closures have been reported for central Croydon's Roti Masters as part of the redevelopment of St George's Walk, and Beer Rebellion in Crystal Palace.

ewan

Hello, welcome back after a brief hiatus. It is that time of year for the Good Beer Guide updates! (Non-GBG-related changes will be in next week's update.)

Our featured article is therefore Category Good Beer Guide 2017. Here is a link to the CAMRA website if you want to see what it looks like and/or buy a copy.

There are many new entries to our database:
* The Beehive in Tottenham (a very nice pub I should have added years ago);
* Brewhouse and Kitchen by Angel station;
* The Broken Drum in Blackfen near Sidcup;
* The Four Thieves, a former Antic pub in Battersea;
* The Hare and Hounds in Greenford;
* J.J. Moon's, a Spoons in Kingsbury;
* The King's Arms, another lovely pub I should have added years ago (it's in Bethnal Green);
* The King and Co. in Clapham;
* The King's Stores in Spitalfields near Liverpool Street;
* The Long Pond in Eltham (see main image above);
* The Penny Farthing in Crayford;
* The People's Park Tavern in South Hackney (a large place);
* The Phoenix in the City of London (Throgmorton Street if you must know);
* The Railway Arms in Oxhey (hey! I hear you say, is that even in London? well no, but it's by Zone 8 Bushey station);
* The Rifleman in Epsom;
* The Shaftesbury Tavern in Upper Holloway;
* The Ship in Gidea Park;
* The Upminster Taproom;
* The Wibbas Down Inn, a Spoons in Wimbledon;
* The Woolwich Equitable.

There's also a stub entry for The Radius Arms in Whyteleafe, which wasn't visited in time to get a full write-up.

A noteable re-entry is the lovely Chesham Arms, which was under threat a few years back, but has reopened and is lovely.

Finally, one that actually entered the GBG last year, but we missed it: The Woodman in Woodmansterne.

Pubs pubs pubs pubs. Go to a pub?

ewan

I'm back-back-back from my holidays to take over update duties from Kat.

風味食堂 (Food House), Chinatown, London WC2

The featured article this week is the imaginatively named Food House, W1D 5QH, which we can confirm does indeed offer food. But perhaps instead you should call it 風味食堂. In fact, it's Northern Chinese and Sichuanese food, moved from that bit of Charing Cross Road currently being refurbished. The food was a mixed affair -- check the review for more details -- but the Chinese 'hamburger' was considered rather good at the most recent visit, and the service is friendly.

Lots of new articles, many of them in Tooting. Those that aren't are a relaxed Italian in Covent Garden, Wildwood Kitchen, and the Clapham Junction branch of We Brought Beer beer shop (we added their Balham branch recently). Moving onto those Tooting outlets, we have: Apollo Banana Leaf (a meaty Sri Lankan); Dosa n Chutny (a South Indian cafe); Gourmet (a Pakistani bakery/sweet shop); Pooja Sweets and Savouries (an Indian sweet shop); and Tooting Daily Fresh Naan, which will sort you out for all yr naan needs (though watch out for the hygiene rating).

There are updates to The Lyceum Tavern and The Edgar Wallace, both on or near the Strand.

Sadly, plenty of reported closures too, most of them pubs as noted in the London Drinker magazine: All Bar One by London Bridge ('redeveloped'); Costa Dorada on Hanway Street; The Fox Reformed in Stoke Newington (renamed); The Gilpin's Bell Edmonton Wetherspoons pub; The Man in the Moon Stanmore 'Spoons; Mela (an Indian on Shaftesbury Ave); The North Pole in Islington (renamed); The Queen's Head in Mitcham; The Widow's Son pub in Bow.

We've heard that Mum's House (a Burmese grocery, not literally your mum's house, unless your mum is Burmese and runs a grocery shop) has moved from Wood Green to Tottenham.

The Misty Moon in High Barnet is now called The Butchers Arms.

Finally, Adams Cafe in Croydon has reopened, for your London Road greasy spoon needs.

katstevens

Hello RGL crew! A quick update this week (the lurgy is improving by all accounts).

Our featured article is the cheerful Hornbeam Cafe in Walthamstow. It's volunteer-run and totally vegetarian, and according to their website they also do environmentally-friendly refills for cleaning products as well as food.

There's a new page for Sea Fare, a chippie in Battersea with a Greek flavour to it. We also have an update for the Masque Haunt, a reliable Wetherspoons by Old Street station - quite handy for Ironmonger Row swimming baths, if you require a post-swim pint/carbohydrate combo (this seems to happen to me a lot).

ewan

Draft list at Beer Rebellion, Peckham, London SE15

Hello, welcome back to a new week, which sees RGL updated with the Good Beer Guide entries for 2016! Hurrah and hurroo.

So herewith a list of all the new pubby articles. If you don't know the area, why not check out the entry? Lots of good drinking ideas!

* The Adam and Eve in Homerton;
* The Aleksander in St Margarets;
* The Antelope in Surbiton;
* The Baring Hall Hotel in Grove Park;
* Beer Rebellion in Peckham;
* The Bell Inn in East Molesey;
* The Black Heart in Camden Town;
* The Bull on Shooter's Hill;
* The Catford Constitutional Club in... oh, guess;
* The Cat's Back in Wandsworth;
* The Champion in Bayswater;
* The Chesham Brewery Shop in the far end of the earth;
* Craft Beer Co. in Clapham;
* Draft House Seething on the Lane of that name near Tower Hill;
* The Durell Arms in Fulham;
* The Great Exhibition in East Dulwich;
* The Grosvenor in Hanwell;
* The Job Centre in Deptford;
* The Junction in Battersea (by Clapham Junction station);
* The Lion and Unicorn in Kentish Town;
* The Lyric in Soho;
* The Mute Swan in East Molesey;
* One Inn the Wood in Petts Wood;
* The Prince of Wales in East Molesey;
* The Wallington Arms in Wallington;
* The White Hart in Stepney, near Whitechapel station;
* The White Swan in Twickenham; and
* Woody's in Kingston.

katstevens

Olde Rose and Crown, Walthamstow, London E17

Hullo all! This week's featured article is for the Olde Rose & Crown in Walthamstow. It's a theatre pub with plenty of handpumps full of tasty beer, and a occasional pop-up pizza truck outside for your carbohydrate needs. What with the Dough Bro dudes down the road at the Wild Card Brewery, Walthamstow is currently spoilt for pop-up pizza truck choice.

Elsewhere there's a new article for the Clapham Junction branch of burrito emporium Tortilla, and an update following a recent visit to Vanilla Black, a fancy 100% veggie restaurant near Chancery Lane.

Slightly sub-par Indian restaurant Monsoon in New Cross has closed, as have two pubs in Farringdon: the gastro-orientated Coach & Horses, and the Sekforde Arms which has finally seen its lease expire. Having spent a number of evenings in there over the years quaffing pints of Ordinary, I've grown quite fond of it and will be sorry to see it go, even though I once saw a mouse running into the kitchen.

ewan

Hello, it's that time of year, time for the new Good Beer Guide and all the new pubs it brings. The category page for this book is therefore, of course, the featured article.

Before we get into that, there's one new unrelated article, which is Banh Mi Hoi-An in London's trendy Hackney, which will do you a decent noodle salad.

Now this leaves us with all the new pubs for this year, so brace yourselves:

* The Aeronaut in Acton (also a brewpub!);
* The Argyle in Clerkenwell (Hatton Garden area);
* The Black Horse in High Barnet (also a brewpub!);
* The Clarence in Mayfair;
* The Constitution in Pimlico;
* Craft Beer Co. in Brixton (ell, can't complain about the beer selection I guess);
* The Crooked Billet in Upper Clapton;
* The Crown in St Margaret's, Twickenham;
* The Elephant and Castle in Kensington;
* The Flying Pig in East Dulwich;
* The George in South Woodford;
* The Grapes in Sutton;
* The Grove in Ealing;
* The Hops and Glory in Canonbury (Essex Road);
* The Hour Glass in Brompton;
* The Huntsman and Hounds in Upminster;
* The King's Head in Tooting;
* The Leyton Technical in Leyton;
* The Lighthouse in Battersea;
* London Fields Brewery Tap Room by the park of that name in Hackney (really a brewery);
* The Lord Aberconway by Liverpool Street;
* The Misty Moon in High Barnet (ex-Spoons, obviously);
* Oaka at the Mansion House in Kennington (the Oakham Ales pub);
* The Old Bell on Fleet Street;
* The Old Loyal Britons in Greenwich;
* Old Tom's Bar under the Lamb Tavern in Leadenhall Market;
* The Pig and Whistle in Southfields;
* The Prince of Wales in Clapham;
* The Railway Bell in New Barnet;
* The Royal George by Euston Station;
* The Shortlands Tavern in Bromley;
* The Sporting Page in Chelsea;
* The Station Hotel in Hither Green;
* The White Lion in Warlingham;
* Williams Ale and Cider House in Spitalfields; and
* Woodin's Shades around the corner on Bishopshate, by Liverpool Street Station.

There are also two stub entries which will be filled out by Kake in the next week or two:
* The Door Hinge in Welling (a micro-pub!); and
* The Hare and Billet in Blackheath.

ewan

Welcome back, and for this week's update your featured article is the wonderfully named Bongo East, IG11 8RW. It's an unflashy Ghanaian bar and restaurant in Barking, with a nice line in spicy fufu and a tempting kelewele. Seems like it might need a few more customers, so why not pop in next time you visit Barking?

My colleague Kat has added an article about Back on Track Coffee in Marylebone which is a coffee shop with a model train twist and a punning name to match. We also have a Chinese restaurant in Bloomsbury, China City, but you might be better off avoiding it for dimsum.

I've also added a bunch of pubs: The Hack and Hop, near Blackfriars; The Draft House on Goodge Street (or "Draft House Charlotte" as the website calls it); and Mother Kelly's "tap room and bottle shop" in Bethnal Green. All three do great beers, in slightly different ways.

There's an update to Hampstead Heath Station (it's accessible!), and a temporary closure at The Half Moon in Herne Hill. Closed more permanently is The Prince of Wales in Battersea, which I certainly have memories of. Finally, a possible closure is Manus Palm Grove in Stratford, pending further information, but it hasn't been open for a while it seems.

ewan

This week is that week when the Good Beer Guide is released, so we can add all the new Good Beer Guide 2014 pubs, which Kake and bob have been diligently adding, helped by a few others. I shan't try to sum up the views of our sterling reviewers (you should read the entries to find out their favourites), so here is a list of those with new entries in RGL as a result:

In the centre:
* The Chamberlain (Aldgate EC3);
* The Exmouth Arms (Clerkenwell EC1);
* The Hung, Drawn and Quartered (Tower Hill EC3);
* The Sun (Covent Garden WC2); and
* The White Swan (Covent Garden WC2).

In the North:
* The Bohemia (North Finchley N12) [PS already closed! BOO!];
* The Bull (Highgate N6);
* The Charlotte Despard (Archway N19); and
* The Stag and Hounds (Lower Edmonton N9).

In the East:
* The Bell (Walthamstow E17)
* The Duke's Head (Walthamstow E17); and
* The Sebright Arms (Haggerston E2).

In the South-East:
* The Royal Standard (Blackheath SE3);
* The Ship (Borough SE1); and
* The Star Inn (Plumstead SE18).

In the South-West:
* The King's Head (Earl's Court SW5); and
* Powder Keg Diplomacy (Battersea SW11).

In outer London postcodes:
* The Barking Dog (Barking IG11);
* The Europa (East Molesey KT8);
* The Feathers (Rickmansworth WD3);
* The George Staples (Sidcup DA15);
* The Jolly Coopers (Hampton TW12);
* The London Apprentice (Isleworth TW7);
* The Moon on the Hill (Sutton SM1)
* The Tailor's Chalk (Sidcup DA14);
* The Three Tuns (Uxbridge UB8);
* The Windermere (North Wembley HA9); and
* The Woodman (Farnborough BR6).

There's also a stub article for The Viaduct in Hanwell, so if anyone would like to visit and let us know how it is, why not do that? We'll get along eventually, I'm sure.

One other pub addition, not in the GBG, is The Change of Horses in Farnborough, which is upmarket traditional. If you're going to go all the way to Farnborough you might as well try a couple of pubs, eh?

Reported closures, are, er, the Bohemia (see above). It was a nice pub, I hope it will be back... :(

There are significant updates to the entries for The Red Lion in Isleworth, The Portrait in Sidcup, and Ye Olde Whyte Lyon in Farnborough.

There is a temporary closure for The Pilot Inn, a wonderful and lonely pub in North Greenwich. Meanwhile, The Gate vegetarian restaurant in Hammersmith has reopened.

katstevens

Afternoon, RGL crew!

This week's featured article is Good Taste, SE19 1RX, a deli in Crystal Palace that stocks interesting booze and plenty of cheese. The staff seem to know their stuff, too!

We have a new page for the Bedford Tavern, a convenient but civilised locals' pub in Croydon that does pork scratchings. Rumours of a secret tunnel leading to Bedford in the gents are unconfirmed.

Dramatic scenes over in Brockley, where the Jam Circus pub has had a fire - but don't worry, nobody was hurt and the Antic dudes say it should be back open for business ASAP. Maybe they will install a trapeze made of chutney while they're at it?

Alas it's not a particularly happy new year for the Castle pub in Battersea, Sitaaray on Drury Lane, the Jacobs camera shops on New Oxford Street and Cannon Street (the whole chain has been 'pulled', as it were), and the Platform restaurant on Tooley Street - all of them are closed permanently.

However the saddest news of all is that Lituanica has stopped selling the cheese and onion peanuts! Your RGL admins are having therapy as we speak.

ewan

This week's featured article is a ivy-covered pub in West Brompton, The Atlas, SW6 1RX. It's many years since it's been in the Good Beer Guide, but it's decent.

Two new additions are Crate, a brewpub and pizzeria in a sort of West Coast US style, out in a former industrial unit of Hackney Wick; and Court Cafe, a greasy spoon by Elephant & Castle.

We've now marked Lemon Monkey in Stoke Newington as closed, because it was replaced by the Monkey Bar some time ago. It still serves cake and coffee for the daytime crowd, so it's apparently not completely different.

Also, an online commenter points out that The Castle pub in Battersea is actually still open, despite closure earlier this year due to being sold to developers. It's still under threat though, so good luck to them!

katstevens

Hullo RGL crew!

It's time for another featured article, namely the Charles Dickens, SE1 0LH, a Good Beer Guide pub in Borough. Highlights include scampi and lovely scrumptious pints of mild!

We also have a trinity of new articles: Tommi's Burger Joint, W1U, a trendy burger place in Marylebone that doesn't appear to have a Ridiculous Queuing Policy^TM; Honest, W1F, another burger hangout which you may recall replaced the Soho branch of Palms of Goa. Finally there's the Cock Tavern, E8, a new brewpub bang in the middle of Mare St, which -- brace yourselves -- does not currently have burgers on the menu. Or indeed, anything else! (Early days, of course.)

Wailing/gnashing of teeth news: RGL-haunt Le Cassoulet, CR2 has abruptly shut! Sniff! Also for the chop: Geeta, NW6, Koreana, HA3, the Case Is Altered, HA3, Cafe Rajistan, E14 and Beaufoy Bar, SW11. Jolly locals' pub the Whitesmiths Arms, SE1 in Borough is also temporarily shut for a refurb (they'd better keep the awesome jukebox).

Zombie of the Week Award goes to the Bloated Mallard, TW11 which has reopened.

ewan

Hello, sorry for the delay.

This week's featured article is the excellent new Catford Bridge Tavern, SE6 4RE, an Antic pub which I can heartily recommend.

There's one reported temporary closure (due to refurbishment), The Gate vegetarian restaurant in Hammersmith.

Three reported closures (permanent) are: Gourmet Garden, a Chinese restaurant near Oxford Circus; El Paisita, a Latin American restaurant by Elephant & Castle; and The Castle, which was once a lovely pub in Battersea but was sold off and run down by Young's.

kake

Image © Kake

This week's featured article is Lola Rojo, SW11 6QL, a tapas restaurant on Northcote Road in Battersea offering modern takes on traditional Spanish tapas.

(Accessibility: Two steps up to get in. Can't remember if there are more steps inside. Some of the seating is on high stools.)

Recent additions to RGL include Tea Palace in Covent Garden, Gerrard's Corner in Chinatown, Byron at the Intrepid Fox in Soho, and Villandry on Great Portland Street. We've also got a few updates on Pacific Plaza (still no supermarket, sadly).

Two reported closures: Green and Red in Shoreditch and the Market Place Cafe near Oxford Street. One reopening: Lina Stores in Soho.

kake

Image © Ewan-M

Lots of pub activity on RGL this week! The featured article is Draft House Northcote, a gastropub on Northcote Road in Battersea/Clapham. They serve real ales as well as other interesting beers from around the world, and the draft beers are available in thirds as well as halves and pints.

Pages added in the past week include the Griffin and the Three Horseshoes in Whetstone.

One permanent closure reported: the John Evelyn in Deptford.